Part Five/Twenty-Eight Summary

Katherine has been in a pilgrim hostel in Waltham Abbey, which is where she had visited the black cross with Hugh. She is living in punishment, remorse and guilt. She overhears that young King Richard will be arriving at Waltham that afternoon, and has some remote hope that he might have seen Blanchette.

Katherine learns that the king has had Jack Strawe, one of the rebel leaders, beheaded for treason. When King Richard arrives, he makes it clear that he only placated the serfs to stop the riots, but had never intended to free them and calls them fools, dolts and traitors, promising them that they will be serfs until doomsday, and that the worst of them would be punished that very day. Katherine sees Cob o'Fenton who is about to be killed, and asks the king to give him back to her...